Hey everyone,

If you’re new to cybersecurity, it’s really easy to waste months doing “productive” things that do not actually move you closer to getting hired.

A new certification drops, everyone talks about it, and suddenly it feels like that is the missing piece.

So this week, I want to give you a beginner-first take on the new CompTIA SecAI+ cert, and where it actually fits.

SecAI+ is CompTIA’s attempt to certify skills around securing AI systems and managing AI-related security risks.

Think of it as:

cybersecurity fundamentals + AI risk + how organisations are actually using AI in the real world.

This matters because more companies are rolling out:

So even if you never “build AI models,” you may still end up working in environments where AI creates new security and risk problems.

Here’s where people get stuck:

A new cert feels like a shortcut. But recruiters do not hire on “interesting” certifications alone.

They hire on:

If you are brand new and you lead with a specialist cert, many hiring managers will still ask:

“Can you troubleshoot networks?”

“Can you explain logs and alerts?”

“Can you investigate and document an incident?”

“Can you work tickets and communicate clearly?”

If the answer is unclear, SecAI+ does not rescue that. This isn’t me saying SecAI+ is a bad cert, it’s me saying timing matters.

SecAI+ will likely become useful for 3 types of people:

1) Cyber folks who already have the basics

People who already understand core security concepts, and want a forward-looking “AI layer.”

2) GRC / risk / compliance professionals

Because AI governance is becoming real work inside organisations.

3) Security engineers / analysts being pulled into AI projects

Even if the job title is not “AI Security,” the work starts showing up.

If your goal is landing your first cybersecurity role, your best ROI is still:

Build fundamentals (networking + security basics)

Get hands-on (labs, blue-team challenges, small projects)

Build proof (write-ups, portfolio, LinkedIn clarity)

Develop communication (clear explanations, good documentation)

Then, once you’re getting interviews or you’re already in IT/cyber, specialist certs like SecAI+ start making a lot more sense.

SecAI+ might be worth considering if:

SecAI+ is probably not the move yet if:

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Here are a few things worth noticing right now:

It’s becoming less about doing a test once, shipping a PDF, and calling it done.More organisations now care about the full loop:

Beginner takeaway:

If you want to stand out, stop thinking “cyber = pure technical.” Start thinking “cyber = technical + process + proof.” This is why skills like:

…are becoming career accelerators, not admin work.

You do not need to be an AI engineer to be relevant in this space.

But the reason AI security matters is simple: AI is getting plugged into real business workflows, and that means it touches:

So the security questions become very practical:

Beginner takeaway:

If you can get comfortable with data flows + identity/access + basic risk thinking, you will be ahead of most people who are still only collecting certs and watching tutorials.

This has not changed. A certification shows you can learn. Great. But what gets you shortlisted faster is evidence that you can do the work, even at a beginner level:

Beginner takeaway:

You don’t need a massive portfolio. You need 3–5 small pieces of proof that are:

…and that you can explain without reading a script.

This is the part most people ignore… and recruiters notice. Cybersecurity is a team sport. Even “technical” roles require you to:

The people who get hired and promoted faster are usually not the loudest. They are the clearest.

Beginner takeaway:

Practise explaining what you did in plain English:

If you can do that, you become easier to trust, easier to work with, and easier to hire.

Do one small thing, and make it visible.

Pick one:

Then publish a short write-up using this structure:

Post it on LinkedIn, or save it as a simple portfolio note you can show in interviews.

This is exactly the kind of thing that separates “interested” from “hireable”.

Have questions about breaking into cybersecurity? Hit reply and let me know what you're struggling with. I read every email.

As always, keep levelling up your career and thanks for reading.

Best wishes
Luke Gough
Career Coach | Recruitment Specialist

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